Headgear



Feb. 28, 1928.

F. DIETERLE HEADGEAR Filed Jan. l5. -1927 lll Patented Feb. 28, v192e.

1,660,375 UNITED STAT-'E5 PATENT OFFICE.;

FRANK nrnTnRLn,

7on PHrLAnELPr-ria, PENNSYLVANIA, AssrenonlTo GEORGE A. REACH, orPHILADELPHIA, zennnsYLvANIe y HEADGEAR.

` Application led january 15, 1927. Serial No. 161,325.

My present invention relates to Vfoot ball helmets of the type disclosed1n Letters Patent No. 1,576,987, dated March 16, 1926.

rIhe invention aims to provide a construction in which the earwill'receive full and adequate protection and the same time be free fromany projection of a character to' be lilrelyrto be knocked inscrimmages, whereby the helmet will be displaced on the head. e f

The invention further aims'to provide a helmet in which the ear andsides'of thehead will receive maximum 'protection with a minimum ofinterferencel with `sounds F transmitted to the ears of the` wearer.

Another object is to provide a helmet in which the back portion williitgthe-headof the wearer snugly and be held in connection with the sideguards by a novel manner-of connection. l

lVith these and other objects in view, the invention includes the novellfeatures of construction hereinafter described, the nature and scope ofmy invention being'l dened by the claims appended hereto.

What I at present consider the preferred embodiment of the invention isillustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure l is a sideelevation of the helmet, and

2 is a section on line 2 2 of Fig. 1.

Referring by reference characters to this drawing, the numeral ldesignates the usual hard leather crown or cap portion of a head gear orhelmet formed of leather, reinforced by crossed strips la of leatherstitched tothe outside of the underlying cap proper. 2, f2 designate themembers for protecting the sides of the head, which members compriseouter' layers of leather and inner layers 3 of cushion material,preferably felt. Said side members are secured at their upper edges tothelower ends of the strips or straps 1?* which are projected below thecap portion for this purpose, as is customary.

The side members 2 are provided withsubstantially semi-circularprojections 2a formed by molding or die shaping the leather, suchprojections conforming 'in shape to the helices of the ears andpositioned to overlie the same. From an inspection of Fig. 2 it will beseen that the projections are inclined towards the front of the helmetand that they emerge into the surface of the side portions at the frontof the ears, or in 'other words, disappearth'ereat.

This (5i-instruction "takes care of the helix of each ear, due to theinside space or channel `fornmdby the projection, while byY reason ofthe entire absence of any projection 1 at the front of the ear,"liability of disarrangement ofthe helmetduring scrimmages is materiallyreduced. p'

Furthermore, the aforesaid construction materially aids the hearing ofthe'wearer, as the convergingof thesides.4 towards the front enables.the orifices 2",2b tov face lpartly forward and thus pick up sound in amanner similar .to the lunexposed ear. e f The si-devmembers 2 arepreferably formed l'of relatively'stiff leather, -butv to insureretention ofshape, I preferably.:provide them with I reinforcements 4 ofvulcanized liber molded to similar shape, to wit, with rearsemi-circular projections and flattened front portions, saidreinforcements being stitched vto the side members around the edges ofthe ear openings, as shown. j

To better cushion the sides and protect theears. I prefer to placebetween the felt lining 3 and the reinforced side members, layers ofsponge rubber, as indicated at 5.

The crown and'side members are provided with the usual Ventilatingopenings 6.

The side protecting members 2 are provided with `(preferably integral)extensions`v 7 which are united at the rearv as indicated at 7a to formthe protector for the backpof the head, and said extensions areseparated from 'the rear edges of the side members 2 by the verticalslits so that the vertical edges of the yrespective parts are juxtaposedfor a considerable distance. The side members 2V are provided with slits2c adjacent their rear. edges, which slits extend also through thelining, and the back extensions 7 are provided with similar slits 7cwhich do not extend through the lining 9.

An elastic tape l0 is threaded through one of the slits. 2c and'doubledupon itself and both layers passed through the adjacent slit 7 c,through the space between the extensions 7 and the lining'and loutthrough the other slit 7, where one of them' is threadedthrough theremaining slit 2c and the ends joined to form an endless elastic tapeconnection. Y i

` This provides a lyielding connection between the back and sideportions and draws the former into snug Contact with the back of thehead, rendering the use of a chin strap Vunnecessary This constructionalso holds the ear ro.tecting members in proper position at tie sidesVof the head.

By this arrangement also an elastic tape of material length is providedto give ample Vin position to thehelices of the ears, the outer surfacesof said projections inclining gradually forwardly and inwardly andmerging completely in the face of said side protecting members in frontof the ears, the outer inclined surface ofeach projection and thatportion of the face of the corresponding side protecting member in frontof the ears lying` substantially in a plane, a for- Wardly inclinedperforation in each projection adapt-ed to communicate to the ear soundscomingfrom the front in a manner silnilarto the reception of such soundsby the Worn, it is easily 1 ear itself, said side members being formedof leather Iand each having therein an internal reinforcingmember ofrigid material of a size and shape similar to the projections andpositioned to overlie and protect the ear, eachof said reinforcingmembers having a perforation registering with the perforation in theprojection, andcushioning means on the inside of thereinforcing membersand remaining portions of the side protecting members. v

2. A foot ball helmet comprising a crown she-ll, side protecting membersdepending therefrom, a protecting portion for the rear of the headhaving free side edges abutting the rear' edges of the side protectingmembers, said .rear `protecting portion having a cushion lin-ing andslots, one adjacent each `side edgeof said rear portion," said slotsforming `the terminals of an internal passageV extending `across and`Withinsaid rear protectingportion, and saidfside members having slotsnear their rear edges and an `endless elastic tape 1threaded:through allof said slots and lying in said passagein doubled form. i

In testimonyV whereof, Iafx my signature.

,FRANK DIETERLE.

